Sarah White has shared her advice as she dropped to a size 16
Sarah White has lost eight stone (Picture: SWNS)
A mum who lost eight stone after using Mounjaro said it’s not the NHS’s responsibility to provide jabs for weight loss. Sarah White was 22 stone at her heaviest in September 2024 when she ordered her first dose of Mounjaro.
She has since dropped to 14 stone to a size 16, but she credits this to changes her lifestyle, in addition to the jabs, which suppressed her appetite. She said: “All along I was implementing changes that I could stick to without the jabs.
“People think the jabs just burn fat but it’s aided me to make the lifestyle changes.” Sarah said her lifestyle habits spiralled after the birth of her twins in 2020. She said: “When my kids were young, my health and weight were bottom priority in everything. I didn’t have time.
“I was a chronic dieter and I did Slimming World and low carb diets but life gets in the way and I never had the mentality to stick with it.”
She added: “I would try diets but if I ever decided to have a weekend off, that would be the end of it. Life gets in the way and the ease of convenience food would sneak in.
“I love cooking family meals but with work, it would be easier to put a pizza in the oven or get a takeaway. Even just things like having toast on a night shift, or a biscuit with my cup of tea.”
Sarah, from York, was cynical when her friend recommended Mounjaro after she had lost two stone. However, she took the plunge, as she hoped this would give the platform to implement healthy lifestyle habits.
She said: “All along I was implementing changes that I could stick to without the jabs. People think the jabs just burn fat but it’s aided me to make the lifestyle changes.”
Sarah White has implemented healthy lifestyle habits after using Mounjaro (Picture: SWNS)
After this, Sarah started taking nutrition more seriously and started exercising, which is just as important to achieving weight loss goals, as she admitted the NHS is already crippled. She added: “I was cynical but I decided to order the jabs as I saw the benefits of the appetite suppression. I do agree that it’s a medication for people, like those with diabetes, and they should get it on the NHS.
“But I am using Mounjaro to make the lifestyle changes so that when I come off the drug, I can stay healthy long-term. I made myself fat so I should have the responsibility to sort it.
“I’m more than happy to pay for something that’s aided me to lose the weight. Why should my obesity be a burden on an already crippled NHS?”
Sarah said the financial benefits of changing lifestyle could be enough to accommodate for paying for Mounjaro. She said: “If people think what they spend on their food shops, on Mounjaro they could cut back on spending that way.
“Mounjaro helps with not wanting to buy takeaways because the hunger isn’t there too. It isn’t cheap – it started out costing £90 for me, then £120, and now £150.
“But I find the money because I’m investing in a better future for myself and my family. People could easily spend £50 or £60 a month on Slimming World and then another £50 on a gym membership – nobody expects the NHS to pay for that.”
As discussions arise around NHS eligibility for the jabs, Sarah feels in cases where isn’t a medical criteria besides being overweight, people should take responsibility. She added: “I gained weight through an unhealthy lifestyle, if I can get something to help me lose weight I’ll do that. It’s the same as people paying for the gym.
“I shouldn’t be a burden on the NHS because I made myself morbidly obese. If there was a way of contribution where people pay a subsidised price, maybe that would work.
“But I don’t think obesity management should get more funding on an already stretched NHS.”